Nashville, Tenn. (May 17, 2011) - Move over lions, tigers and bears. Durable and adorable wooden anamalz have moms and Mother Nature herself exclaiming "oh my" when they wrap their hands around koala, kangaroo and crocodile. Each pose-able playmate is made from sustainable maple wood and features an endearing touch of color, cloth and cuteness.

These handcrafted wooden toys, designed in Australia, are integrated with textiles that give them the ability to bend into pose-able positions. Anamalz can look up and down or left and right making playtime a creative time. As one online boutique described them, "they are a unique gift, a story teller, a toy and a companion."

Children are immediately engaged when they see anamalz because these wooden toys look so different from other toys out on the store shelf. Grownups notice the handsome design and the glossy grain from the eco-friendly maple. Judges at Australia's prestigious Design Award gave anamalz the top prize in 2009 for Materials and Textiles Innovation. At the opposite end of the globe, The Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC) awarded the cute creatures a CTTC three star rating – the highest level – designating excellence in all areas of function, design, durability and most importantly, play value.

According to Josh Tyler, anamalz North America's Chief Zookeeper, "each anamalz figure is hand-painted with child-friendly water-based paint and recycled packaging is used whenever possible. Our company is proud of our green credentials – and we have established a trust fund that contributes to various wildlife and children's organization around the globe." Hence, anamalz is looking after the animals!

Four categories make up the anamalz line of pose-able pals: Farm [including donkey, horse, llama], Wild [baboon, buffalo, moose, to name a few] Australian [emu, wombat, kangaroo] and the all new Prehistoric [parasaurolophus, stegosaurus, triceratops]. Accessories include a play mat and trees enhance the play experience. In all, there are 35+ figures to collect.

An added online experience awaits anamalz owners. Click on their website, www.anamalz.com, and enter the password printed on the anamalz hang tag. Enter the site to animate your new pal, download wallpaper and play games only available to owners. Elsewhere on the website kids can find tips on improving their environment and sending feedback to the toymakers.

New for 2011 are more than a dozen pose-able animals and accessories including six dinosaurs, a favorite of kids. The wonderfully affordable pals were designed for children ages 3 and up.
Prehistoric Anamalz ($12.95 each and all new!)

Brontosaurus
This long necked dinosaur is ready to play and easy to find with his red accents.

Parasaurolophus
Walking upright on two legs is this friendly blue accented dino with a single horn on his wooden head.

Stegosaurus
This chunky shaped dinosaur walks on four large feet and sports dark brown scales down his back. The smile on his long face shows he's ready to play.

Triceratops
Ready to roam? This horned dinosaur can bend his legs, neck and tail for hours of creative play.

Tyrannosaurus Rex
This big guy is beloved by all dinosaur fans with his large head, torso and feet. The green accents made him appealing to the touch as well as the eyes.

Torosaurus
This prehistoric guy is ready to run across the
room with his white and silver features alert
and eager to play.

Wild Anamalz ($8.95 each)

Baboon
This wooden pal is ready for some wild times, as his ears stand alert for giggles and gasps.

Buffalo
Where will he roam today? Buffalo is the most colorful of the wild animals from his braided tail to his covered head.

The Australian Anamalz collection offers emu, kangaroo, koala (each $8.95) and an Aussie pouch ($19.95) with three native animals -- the wombat, koala and echidna.

Anamalz Accessories (all new)

Playmat ($39.95)
Made from high quality materials, the playmat gives anamalz a colorful place to roam. A river flows with three push-along fish and separates the green pastures from the rugged dirt field. Orange, apple and wild trees can be added for a fresh adventure. At the end of play, the playmat can be turned inside out and becomes a handy bag for storage.

Orange tree ($16.95)
Standing over 6" tall, this green tree with a wood base sports bright oranges, ready for picking in a make pretend world!

Apple tree ($16.95)
Add an apple tree to any adventure on the farm or with the dinosaurs. Stands over 6" tall with a wooden trunk and bright green ball accented with red fruit.

Wild tree ($16.95)
Use your imagination and place this tree around your wild animals as they roam the living room or the kitchen table.

Anamalz can be found everywhere – online at small boutiques like www.hazelnutkids.com, in Canada at www.raspberrykids.com, at Barnes & Noble and specialty shops coast to coast plus internationally in over 20 countries.

About anamalz
Designed in Australia and made from sustainable maple wood, anamalz is the name of the wonderfully designed, award winning range of toy animals that can be bent into dozens of funny poses. The green business proudly uses fabric that is azo dyed and their waste wood is used on a farm to grow mushrooms. Each toy is assembled in factories that are of the highest standards and meet international regulations. Of the dozens of animals, the giraffe, reindeer and dinosaurs are particular favorites – although a lovable gorilla with the nickname "Rilla" is also a popular choice among youngsters! Visit all of the anamalz at their website at www.anamalz.com.